


gardens of flesh and bone

by norudeghosts



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Hunters, Anal(?) Sex, Body Horror, Dark Humor, M/M, Mentioned Human Sacrifice, Minor Character Death, Monsterfucking, Monsters, Religious Cults, Religious Horror, basically it gets weird and fucked up, references to larger world events, there's a Lot of backstory here that is not expounded on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:22:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26552800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/norudeghosts/pseuds/norudeghosts
Summary: Jisung is a hunter; a person specializing in the control and, if need be, elimination of supernatural entities throughout the world. Rumors lead him to a small, remote mountain village.Things get very complicated very fast.
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Felix
Comments: 14
Kudos: 155
Collections: SKZ Fuckfest





	gardens of flesh and bone

**Author's Note:**

> this was for prompt 144!!! i got a little away from the original prompt but i managed to hit the core of it: monsterfucking

The carriage ride out to the sleepy little village that’s the subject of the rumors is long and bumpy, too jarring for Jisung to get some proper sleep. It’s tucked in the valley of two small mountains and fairly isolated, a small community of roughly fifty people- farmers, mostly, but their numbers have been dwindling lately. From the rumors, it isn’t illness or natural causes. He’s heard a few suggestions, ranging from a nearby vampire infestation to a rather fantastical story about mountain dwarves and tunnel worms.

Really, what went on in some peoples’ heads? Tunnel worms preferred _much_ warmer weather than this.

It’s raining when he arrives; not a downpour, but enough to make his hair plaster to his head and his coat uncomfortably heavy. The coachman helps retrieve his bag from the top of the carriage, his hat shielding his face from the rain, and Jisung briefly mourns the fact he didn’t think to wear his own.

“Let me help you with that!”

Jisung almost loses his balance in the mud when a second set of hands grabs his luggage, hoisting it with ease and taking the weight off his shoulders. He bites back a curse as he rights himself, squinting up at the figure who took it.

It’s an absolute _giant_ of a man, not only taller than him but broader by a fair bit. He thinks one of the man’s arms may be almost as thick as his waist. A head full of dark, curly hair is matched by a genuinely impressive beard, and Jisung entertains the thought that he’s accidentally stumbled into a werewolf den.

Wouldn’t be the first time.

“You are the hunter, yes? We received word you were coming.” The man smiles, teeth a bit yellowed and crooked. Not a fang in sight. Probably _not_ a werewolf then. Plus, no wet dog smell. Usually a dead giveaway during a rainstorm. “I am Xaver. Come, come, we have a room for you waiting.”

The accent is thicker than he’s used to around these parts, and Jisung’s grateful for Chan’s insistence that they practice their English regularly for as long as they’re going to be in this part of the world. He may have whined and complained, but it definitely helps out. “I’m Jisung,” He yells over the growing wind, grabbing the edges of his leather duster when it tries to blow open and let water soak his clothes. “Word is you guys have been having some kind of problem.”

The ‘road’ they’re on can barely be called such; it’s more a pseudo-paved path, mostly rocks packed tightly into the dirt. Mud sticks to Jisung’s boots, trying to suck them off. The sun may have only just set, but it’s pitch dark out here, enough that Jisung can barely even see Xaver’s broad back in front of him as they ascend the hill.

Lights twinkle into view, likely lamps outside the houses of the village. Heaven, or Haven, or something similar. He’s not the best with names. “Unfortunately the rumors are true.” Xaver answers, moving Jisung’s bag from one comically-large hand to the other. He _really_ hopes he capped those vials well. Otherwise, he definitely has holy water all over his stuff. “We have been having problems with sick livestock and bad harvests for some time now. A curse, perhaps.”

Jisung pauses mid-step, long enough for the man to get considerably further ahead of him. While certainly a viable problem, sure, that didn’t match the rumors he’d heard at _all_. They had been about missing people, residents of the little town who suddenly stopped answering letters or making trips to see relatives.

Interesting.

“That’s what I’m here to find out.”

* * *

Haven is _fucking weird._

The church is the biggest building in the town, which in and of itself isn't weird, not for such a rural small town. What's weird is there's no public house to speak of- no bar, no watering hole, no hotel, _nothing_. Xaver takes him to a small house on the outskirts of town, owned by the church apparently, that's for him to stay in. It's more of a one room shack than a proper cabin, but considering that one stint where the three of them had to sleep on a narrow cliff face for two nights in a row, he'll take it. 

It doesn’t stop Jisung from barricading the door with the heaviest piece of furniture he can move, but details.

The lack of comment on the disappearances bugs him. It doesn’t sit right, not when that’s what reached them and caught Chan’s attention enough for Jisung to wander out this far. It’s not _enough_ for him to say something is wrong, but it’s definitely suspicious.

He spreads his luggage out on the lone table, with the exception of the few sets of clothes stuffed in the bottom of the suitcase. Most of his belongings are back at the house Chan owns, but he’s brought a fairly basic kit with him. A few vials of holy water, a silver dagger, a wooden stake, a pouch of iron shavings. Some herbs and spices known to ward off other creatures common in this area.

It’s not as specialized as he would personally like, but there’s so many potential causes that he had to settle for a more generalized kit. The addition of the livestock and crop troubles sounds fae-like, but normally the disappearances would be the bigger concern to the population. Then again, if it _is_ fae involved, they could magick away the memories of the town regarding the missing people. Although if that’s the case, this is _much_ bigger than Jisung can handle alone.

He scrubs at his face with his palm, nose scrunching up. He might as well get some sleep now, before all hell- possibly literally- breaks loose.

* * *

Jisung wakes before dawn.

Not exactly by _choice_ , admittedly, more due to the incredibly obnoxious rooster nearby that will not shut up for any reason. But he is either way. Chan would be proud. Probably.

The sun barely skims the horizon when he drags himself from the cabin, the belt with his kit attached carefully hidden under an oversized shirt. He's sure half the town has already heard about his arrival, and the other half can't be far behind, but the less he reveals this early the better.

Haven's main thoroughfare is really more of a dirt path worn smooth from traffic, barely big enough to permit a stage- not that the climb from the main road would be passable in this condition. Hell, the _main road_ is barely passable; it's less of a road and more of a… A guided mud pit.

Jisung’s starting to think he's always going to draw the worst lot when it comes to picking their assignments. Chan gets to play vampire hunter in an elaborate castle, Changbin is off trying to locate an aitvaras that's been causing havoc in a village to the north, and he’s stuck with… Rumors and some sick livestock.

Lovely.

If the disappearances are mere rumors, chances are it’s just some bored fae messing with mortals again. Nothing some iron and strong words can’t cure.

The sun filters through the woods around the town, catching on the morning mist and making it look like a strange cloud of fire creeping through the trees. Surprisingly, there’s a few villagers out and about already, milling around the houses and church; most of them give him a wide berth, with friendly but restrained smiles offered in his direction. It’s not the coldest reception he’s been offered, but after Xaver’s greeting he’s a little put out.

Most of the town is clustered around their little makeshift square. He doesn’t see any shop signs, which only adds to the oddness of the place. From what he can tell, they don’t even have a general store.

“You must be the one coming to help with the curse!” Jisung turns his head to the sound of the voice. A smiling woman who makes him think of his grandmother is approaching him, wiping her hands on her apron, and he relaxes minutely.

His hand still doesn’t leave the dagger hidden under his shirt, but that’s beside the point. “Yes ma’am, I’m going to do my best to get to the source of the problems here."

Her smile widens. She's missing a canine. Something about it sets Jisung’s nerves on edge, and his grip reflexively tightens on the silver blade. "Good, good! You come find me when it's supper time. Such a skinny thing. You just tell someone to point you to Marta and I'll get you all fixed up with a proper meal."

Chan always made sure they were trained right. No matter the situation, staying in control of your emotions was the top priority- getting anxious or scared made a hunter sloppy, and getting sloppy made a hunter dead. His smile and body language give nothing away. "Thank you ma'am, I'll keep that in mind."

Yeah, he's definitely _not_ accepting food from anyone here. Call him paranoid, but after that one time someone fed Changbin goat-demon and he was sick for like a week, he’s not taking any chances. Marta’s smile doesn’t fade as she bustles off, so he at least hasn’t offended her.

“Marta can be a bit… Much.”

Jisung spins, hand still instinctively on his blade. The man who spoke doesn’t match the voice at _all_ ; his voice is a deep bass, while his face is soft and almost fairy-like. A smattering of freckles lay across his nose and cheeks, only adding to the fairy impression. In fact, Jisung is half tempted to sprinkle a little iron dust on him, just to be sure.

“I had gathered. And you are…?”

Doe-like eyes blink at Jisung, almost as if in confusion. He’s _really pretty_. It’s kind of infuriating. “I’m Felix.” He offers his hand to shake. His palm is softer than Jisung expects, his hands surprisingly small and delicate. “I moved here not too long ago.”

Huh.

“Nice to meet you.”

Felix ends up showing him around, for what it’s worth- aside from the small farm on the edge of town, a few grazing cows and sheep mixed together in a pasture that’s a little too small and some brown and dying fields, pretty much the entire town is just a small square.

The farm, at least, offers him some information. There’s a dead cow near the edge of the field, and Jisung clambers over the fence, yanking his scarf up to cover his nose and mouth. The smell is _awful_ , the animal clearly dead for a few days now, and part of him wants to ask why the fuck they haven’t done anything about it. Felix doesn’t approach as he examines the body, almost curling in on himself at the sight. Not surprising; it’s not exactly the most pleasant situation. There’s no visible damage to the cow that he can tell; the bloating may have hidden it, but there’s also no blood stains anywhere nearby. Plus, Xaver had mentioned illness going through their herds. It _could_ be natural.

But something about it feels wrong.

The fields aren’t in much better shape. Even a cursory glance shows massive amounts of insect damage and mold, which is a bit odd because records didn’t show it being wet enough to cause that. They’re not wrong about these crops being ruined, that’s for sure. There isn’t anything definitively unnatural about it, but it’s unusual.

There’s not enough for him to locate a certain cause. It _could_ be a curse or trickery, but it could also just be simply bad luck. Crops fail. Animals get sick. It happens.

He can’t shake the sense something about this is unnatural, but a sense isn’t enough.

* * *

The people of Haven are mostly welcoming, in spite of their cautious nature. He sees both Xaver and Marta a few more times, and both are bright and friendly during their interactions. A few other villagers introduce themselves to him, even. Reiner, one of the farmhands. Mina, the local tailor who offers to patch his coat free of charge in return for his help with their 'troubles'. Even the mayor and head priest, an older man named Eirik with grayed hair and a beard that almost rivals Xaver's, makes a point of stopping to speak briefly to him.

It makes him feel almost awkward, given that he isn't making any progress. He's heard faint whispers of disappearances again, nothing new, but… There’s still no evidence of anything involving the supernatural, really. People leave small towns all the time.

And then two weeks later Xaver disappears.

The shouting gets his attention early in the morning. It's loud enough to drown out the rooster, even, and Jisung is out the door with his kit faster than he really registers it. Most of the town is gathered in the square. An elderly woman is openly sobbing, face buried in the shoulder of a middle-aged man. He can see the resemblance. Same dark hair and impressive beard, although not as much of a mountain.

Felix is hovering near the edge of the commotion, eyes wide, and Jisung steps up to his side, keeping one ear on the rapid-fire speech taking place in front of them. "What's going on?"

"Xaver is gone." Felix chews on his lip, pulling the flesh between his teeth for a moment before releasing it. "They can't find him anywhere in town."

Again, he finds himself with something suspicious that just isn't quite _enough_.

The crowd parts easily for Jisung when he nudges his way through, a lot of the conversation dying down as their attention shifts. It would be anxiety-inducing, if he wasn’t already used to it. Eirik has stepped over to the pair he saw earlier, one hand resting gently on the woman's back in what's probably an attempt at comfort. "How long has he been gone?"

The man- Xaver's brother?- speaks up first. "He was not at home last night when we went to bed, and he still had not returned this morning." The woman sobs harder at this, trembling like she's going to fall to pieces any moment. It’s uncomfortable to watch. Despair always is. "It isn't like him. He's a good, responsible, God-fearing man." Jisung kind of wants to say they’re all like that, at least until the town finds out they’re off fucking with witches, or vampires, or in one notable case a necromancer and their thralls. He’s pretty sure that’s how half _that_ town had fallen ill with a horrible type of consumption. It took Changbin over a week to heal them all, but that wasn’t exactly relevant to the current situation. Hopefully. If it was, the others were buying his meals for a _month_.

Best to not leap to the worst conclusion right off the line, though. “Would he have gone to another town without telling you? Or is it possible he went into the woods and got injured?”

“To… Another town?” The man looks absolutely bewildered, like Jisung might as well be speaking another language with the suggestion. “No, no. We were born and raised here. We have no reason to leave. Please, hunter, you have to find my brother.”

This is why Jisung hated small towns. The _entire town_ seemed to be staring at him, practically holding their breath as they waited for an answer. What was he going to say? 'No, I don't feel like it, but good luck with that'?

"Bring something of his to my cabin. I should have a way to track him."

* * *

To Jisung’s surprise, it's not the bearded man or even the old woman at the door not twenty minutes later; instead, it's Felix, a small bundle of cloth in his arms. "I go foraging in the forest more often than most of the town. They thought I might be helpful," he offers by way of explanation, passing his bundle off to Jisung. The mid-morning sun plays through his hair, turning strawberry blond to rose gold, and Jisung has to bite his tongue to resist asking if Felix knows of any fae in his bloodline. "I hope this stuff works."

The bundle has a few items in it. A beard comb, a braided leather bracelet, a small silver coin with an engraving that some part of his brain recognizes but he can't place. It's not much, but it's easily enough. Ideally the bowl would be steel, not copper, and he'd have blood or a sizable amount of hair, but as long as he doesn't screw up the charm it should still work.

Felix watches him curiously as he sets all three inside the bowl, careful not to smudge the careful chalk marks along the rim. The symbols are simple and intricate in equal measure, ancient things Chan made sure to engrave in his mind for whenever he needed them, and he takes a moment to offer up some silent thanks. Popping the top on a small flask, Jisung pours the foul-smelling dark liquid inside on top of the items. " _Minar kitun._ "

Nothing appears to happen at first. For a split second, Jisung thinks he must have fucked up somewhere- maybe a backwards glyph, or maybe it was supposed to be the bile of a _barguest_ and not a _banshee_.

Then dark smoke pours out from the bowl, thick enough to completely obscure the contents, and he sighs in relief. It’s not exactly ideal, taking a civilian with him out into the woods with no real idea what he’s up against, but frankly he doesn’t need to trip and break his neck in a ditch just because he’s trying to keep someone safe from a danger that may or may not exist. “Alright, come on. This should guide us.”

Once they’re outside the cabin, the smoke begins to shift, drifting towards the woods in spite of the weak breeze cutting through the valley. “A locating charm?” Felix sounds curious, maybe a little awed, and Jisung internally preens. It’s not complicated magic, just finicky, but the way Felix says it is definitely an ego boost. “Is it reliable?”

“It’s only failed us once.” Really, it hadn’t exactly ‘failed’ so much as ‘become horribly disoriented by some convoluted body-snatching’, but that was a mouthful to explain. The sunlight overhead dims as they step into the shade of the trees, sending strange patterns over their skin and making it a little harder to see the trail of smoke. “This should take us to wherever Xaver is.”

Felix blinks, dark eyes almost black in the low light. “Oh.”

* * *

Jisung officially hates these woods. Technically, this is a mountain valley. Technically, they should be rocky, maybe a little thin, and definitely dry.

This is more of a fucking _swamp_ than a forest, the ground marshy, damp, and doing its best to steal his shoes. Felix is faring a lot better than Jisung, delicate steps avoiding the worst of the muck and wetness as they make their way through. Practice makes perfect, he guesses. “You actually go foraging out here?”

Felix hums tunelessly, more a noise of acknowledgment than anything. He keeps his eyes on the ground. “Sometimes. There’s a lot out here people can use, if you know how to look.” Which isn’t too much of an answer, but this entire damn _town_ seems reluctant to share too much. It’s getting old. If there wasn’t such a risk of whatever the hell it was spreading, he’d leave them to their own devices. Damn hunter vows and Chan making sure they wanted to _help people_. “Do you know how much further?”

Smoke is still spiraling out from the bowl, but the color has lightened, closer to white than black now. “Not much more, it doesn’t look like.”

"How can you tell?"

Jisung uses his free hand to gesture to the smoke, fingers cutting through it just enough to cause strange patterns for a moment. "It gets lighter the closer you get with this spell. There's a few variations but-"

Looking back, he’s still not sure what caught his attention. But suddenly his nerves feel like they’ve been lit aflame, hair standing straight up, and he freezes in his steps. Felix stops a few paces behind him. The sound of his boots in the muck is suddenly deafening; like the rest of the world has fallen silent. “Jisung?”

“Wait here.” His tone is sharper than he means it to be, eyes instinctively scanning the trees around them for any hint of movement. There’s nothing but the smoke, still drifting toward its target, and that’s somehow even more worrisome. Felix does as he’s told, staying silent and still in his place, watching Jisung. Even from a few steps away, he can see those wide, dark eyes are filled with emotion- confusion, mostly, but more than a small hint of fear. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything hurt you.” The words leave him before he can even think about it, but he can’t be bothered to make himself take them back. It’s his _job_ , after all. Reaching to his side, he slides the dagger free of its sheath. It isn’t an ideal weapon against everything, but it’s better than nothing and will at least buy him time no matter what the creature is. If it’s even here.

Stealth in such a wet environment is difficult at best, but Jisung does his best, keeping his footfalls light and isolated to the driest patches he can find. There’s something on the wind, bitter and acrid, and his stomach sinks. So much for finding Xaver alive. He almost misses the clearing in spite of the smoke leading him to it. It’s small, no more than a few feet across, just enough for Xaver to lay down comfortably. Well. It might have been comfortable, once.

It’s been a _while_ since he’s seen something like this. The display is beautiful in a weird, fucked up sort of way. Just from looking at his face, one could almost mistake Xaver for simply sleeping, eyes closed and expression peaceful.

But there’s no mistaking the way his ribcage has cracked open, viscera and blood spilled onto the forest floor. Flowers bloom from the mess, stark white blossoms amidst the carnage. Centered almost perfectly in his chest, where his lungs should have been, a small sapling has pushed through. It somehow looks a few years old, already almost Jisung’s height, even though Xaver had been gone for less than a day and likely dead no more than half that time. Vines twine around its trunk, small pink buds on the verge of blooming, and it takes a second for Jisung to register that the bark appears to be made of _bone_.

Indeed, looking at the whole scene more closely makes him want to gag- what he had thought were stems and leaves appear to muscle and skin, tinted green from rot and whatever magic formed them. The vines appear to be entrails, split open and twisted in a mockery of nature, and the branches of the tree pulse faintly beneath pale ligaments. Like a heartbeat.

He really, _really_ hopes Xaver isn’t still technically alive.

Jisung gets the impression he may be in over his head. Sure, he can handle most things, but _this_ is a level of magic he has only seen once before. It’s powerful, ancient stuff, dragged from the days of the gods, and that’s… Not good, at best.

“Jisung?”

Felix’s voice carrying through the trees startles him back to himself, and he grimaces, stepping back from the ghoulish sight in front of him. He can faintly hear Felix approaching, and the _last_ thing he wants is for the other to actually see this. “I’m coming. We need to go back.” He calls out, ending the spell and shoving the bowl and its contents back in his bag. There’s rain on the wind, and nothing he can do here. Not anymore.

* * *

Returning empty-handed is never pleasant. Returning empty-handed to inform a family their loved one has been killed? Pretty much tops on the list of bad experiences.

Jisung doesn’t hang around for long after. He doesn’t know these people, not really, and inserting himself into their grief is something too personal. Instead, he digs out the journals he carries- most of them are written by Chan, but more recently his and Changbin’s handwriting has been popping up. He’s never seen this personally, but Chan’s been doing this for eons longer than him, so _something_ in here might give some kind of clue as to what the hell is going on.

Halfway through the third journal, and an oddly riveting description of a water beast that lurked near a shoreline at the base of the continent later, there’s a soft knock on his door. It’s only when he looks up that he realizes the sun has long set, the only illumination the candle on his table, and he half-wonders if he should actually eat something. “Come in.” There’s no lock on the door. Jisung personally hates it, but that’s not unusual for these small towns.

He’s only a little surprised to see Felix slip through the door. The other has stayed near him almost the entire time he’s been in town, shadowing Jisung through the entire investigation and doing his best to smooth things over with some of the more fickle and secretive residents. He’s been nice company. Almost like his own little hunting apprentice, one who doesn’t know the first thing about monsters but is familiar enough with the village and the area to still be a help versus a hindrance. Just… A _very_ pretty one, with freckles decorating his skin like the sun’s own kisses, and who hangs off his every word.

Felix leans back against the wood after it shuts, eyes dark and unreadable in the dim light, and for a moment it sends something _odd_ through Jisung. Not fear, but almost… Discomfort?

Weird.

Just as Jisung opens his mouth, Felix interrupts him. “I want to make you a deal.”

Jisung sits up straighter in the chair, his hand flexing as his instincts kick in. “A deal?” He repeats back, mind already running through the possibilities. Sure, Felix has stayed close, but not close enough to totally sabotage his investigation. He hadn’t reacted to anything in Jisung’s kit, either, which ruled out virtually anything capable of hiding as a human.

It only takes a few quick steps for Felix to be by his side. The flickering light of the candle sends shadows dancing over his face, to an eerie effect. “There is… Something wrong here. With the people of Haven. I’ll tell you how to find it.”

Jisung feels his eyebrows draw down. Again, no one had reacted to any of the usual triggers- not to mention, whatever the hell had killed Xaver was definitely _not_ a human. But his leads are few and thin, the journals proving useless so far, and he _has_ to know. “And what do you want in return?”

Felix’s eyes flick down to Jisung’s lips. Before he can react, the other ducks his head down, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth- not fully inappropriate, not yet, but with enough intent it sends heat skittering down Jisung’s spine. Felix pulls back just enough to meet his gaze before he speaks. “Will you lay with me?”

Not the most normal request. Not the most _unusual_ , but definitely not normal. Sure, he’d had an inkling Felix may have had some kind of attraction to him, but he hadn’t expected the soft-spoken villager to be this bold. However, he does need the information, and sleeping with someone as beautiful as Felix isn’t exactly what he would call a hardship. “Alright. Deal.” Felix looks almost startled that Jisung agreed, like he wasn’t expecting that turn of events, and Jisung bites the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He kind of wants to ask if Felix is a virgin, with how his cheeks flush pink and his eyes widen, but that is a whole different can of worms he isn’t prepared to open. If Felix is willing, that’s good enough for him. “So what am I looking for?”

And with that simple question, Felix’s entire demeanour shifts. His eyes drop to the floor, shoulders hunching up slightly, and discomfort practically radiates off him. “…Xaver’s rites are tomorrow. The entire town will be there. But the entire town won’t leave.” He drags his gaze back up to meet Jisung’s, eyes wide and _frightened_ in a way that seems borderline animalistic. “Look around while the homes are empty. _Please._ ” His voice cracks slightly with desperation.

The sick feeling in his stomach returns.

“Alright.”

* * *

It’s easy to break into Marta’s house. Jisung doubts anyone in this entire town has even heard of a lock. Felix said that the sermon should last over an hour easily, so he’s free to poke around. The house looks fairly simple; not much different from the little shack he’s staying in. A little more personal, with a nicer kitchen and a proper icebox, but really nothing remarkable.

The only thing that bothers him is the _smell_. It’s strangely artificial, too many flowers jammed into such a small space. Sure, it’s not a crime or very suspicious, but it’s still unpleasant.

Still, some things aren’t always obvious, so he sets about searching. Not that it turns up much. There isn’t too much he can do without making it clear he’s been inside, so his investigation is limited mostly to carefully rifling through drawers and peering under furniture. A few odd tokens are the most he comes up with.

And then he manages to trip over the rug.

Changbin would literally never let him live it down if he saw. It’s grand, really, all flailing arms and pantomimed screeching as he goes down.

Something odd presses into his side from the floor, snapping him back from the shock. He rolls over off the rug, shuffling up onto his hands and knees to pull the fabric off the wooden floor. Underneath the thick fabric, nearly hidden from sight in the dimness, is a short length of rope, tied off into a small hole in the floorboards.

A trap door?

 _Huh_.

Pushing himself to his feet, Jisung carefully folds the rug out of the way. The entrance is fairly compact, just enough for a person, and he pulls the rope slowly to open it. Luckily it doesn’t seem to be booby-trapped, although a hole down into pitch-black darkness and earth is more than a little intimidating on its own. There’s a rope ladder on one wall, clearly old and worn from use but still in good enough shape to be usable. Jisung mentally thanks Chan as he digs in the pocket of his pants, producing a small glass-like orb. Most people would think it was just a large marble, a line of gold swirled through the crystal-clear glass.

“ _Bich_.”

The golden line illuminates, radiating light more intensely than such a small thing should be capable of. It’s old magic, nothing terribly strong but enough for his purposes.

Sticking the marble in his mouth, biting down on the glass to hold it in place, he swings himself into the hole.

Beneath his hands, the wooden rungs of the ladder are worn smooth from use, and it only spikes his curiosity. The journey isn’t long- he’d guess the hole is maybe ten feet deep, opening into a larger basement-type area. Not unusual, really, plenty of places around here have root cellars, but it’s curious that she’s keeping the entrance hidden under the rug.

When he feels dirt under his feet, he releases the ladder, spitting the orb into his palm. It’s not too damp, thankfully. He spins around to examine the room with curiosity.

At first, it doesn’t look too different from most basements he’s been in. There’s a larger storage trunk down here, clearly enchanted to keep the contents cold, and a table tucked into a small alcove with some dishes on it. An altar, if he had to guess. Considering how religious this little town is, he’s not surprised.

Still, he treads deeper into the small room, examining the hanging knives on the near wall. There’s faint blood stains near the handles. It’s most likely from animals, but something about it raises the hair on the back of his neck. The smell of the flowers is less down here, something sour going through it.

Jisung steps up to the small altar. He expects some kind of iconography, maybe a few small coins or something similar.

He’s definitely not expecting the collection of _human teeth_ sitting in the dish in the center.

“Oh what the _fuck._ ”

The other dishes aren’t much better. One contains what looks like the dried remains of what he thinks may have been an eye at some point; the other… They’re definitely bones, small and delicate. A human finger.

A _child’s_ finger.

Jisung kind of wants to vomit.

Objectively, it’s not the worst thing he’s ever seen. They’ve been through some true horror-shows, and a few body parts is hardly even worth mentioning in the grand scheme of things.

He doesn’t even _want_ to look in that trunk.

Shoving down the disgust, he examines the altar more closely, trying to find any sort of hint as to what it’s for. It doesn’t take long to spot the marks in the wood. Most hunters would still need to go look up a translation, maybe the associations. But Jisung is pretty sure that the glyphs carved into the wooden surface are equally as etched into his brain.

_Blood for blood and flesh for flesh._

“Fucking- of course. Of course it’s a fucking cult for Anshei.” He mumbles, spinning in place and heading back towards the ladder. “Couldn’t be something _normal_ , like a witch or a fae or anything. Noooo, it had to be a human-sacrifice cult for a psychotic fear goddess.”

He pockets the orb, muttering the deactivation code as he pulls himself back out of the basement. Putting everything back as he found it only takes a minute, and he slips back out of the house.

Felix knew.

He has more than a few questions for the other man, but they will have to wait. He needs to look around as much as he can before the service ends. There’s no locks on _anyone’s_ doors, which does make things easier, but only leaves a sick feeling in his stomach. Some of them don’t even bother hiding the altars and the grotesque offerings on them. One couple- fuck, he remembers hearing the town talk about how sad it was they lost their baby, even if it was for a ‘good cause’. He kept wondering what the hell that had even _meant_.

The bloody crib in the corner and tiny, fractured skull resting on the mantelpiece answers _that_ solidly enough.

“What the _actual fuck_.” He mumbles, the question completely rhetorical given that he’s alone (and that he really, really doesn’t actually want to know) but just saying the words helps bring some semblance of sanity back to the current situation. “How do I always get the really crazy ones.”

The church bells ring, sending a shot of adrenaline through him, and he slips out the back door of the house as quickly as he can. His heart pounds in his chest, loud enough to be practically deafening in his ears, and part of him wants to just bolt for the hills and never, ever look back.

But he can’t just leave this.

Jisung keeps himself carefully tucked in the shadows between houses, watching as the townspeople spill out from the church. Just the sight of them makes him want to gag, knowing the truth- watching them comfort each other over Xaver’s passing just feels hollow and wrong. Felix is near the front of the crowd, head bowed, eyes hidden from sight.

And then he remembers what Felix said.

_The entire town will be there. But the entire town won’t leave._

He counts. Once, twice, three times. His stomach sinks as he comes up with fifty seven people each time. Every time.

Fifty eight went in.

Some quick searching confirms that Mina appears to be the missing person. He bites down on another curse, teeth sinking into his tongue hard enough he tastes blood. As quietly as he can, he slips around the back of the houses, trying his best to _walk_ and not _run_ back to the small cabin that’s currently acting as his sanctuary.

Problem is, the wards only keep out the monsters that _don’t_ wear human skin.

He barely has the door shut before he’s digging through his bag, searching for one specific item. They don’t use them often; they’re tricky magic at the best of times, but he knows the spell is good and there is no way he can deal with this without backup. His fingers close around the folded piece of paper and he yanks it out harshly enough it almost tears.

His hands are shaking a little.

Jisung unfolds it carefully, making sure not to smudge the elegant symbols drawn around the edges, and hastily scribbles his note down. The glyphs begin to glow as he does so, humming with old magic, and it’s in that moment the symbol on Xaver’s coin comes back to him. Of _course_ he recognized it. It’s the ancient symbol for Anshei. The one still branded into Chan’s skin. The one carved into Seungmin’s ribs, above his wound. “I’m an idiot. I’m an absolute fucking idiot.”

“No, you aren’t.”

The nib of his pen almost tears through the paper at the words, and he looks up to see Felix in front of the door, watching him quietly. He kind of hates how he was so wrapped up in this that he didn’t even notice the other entering. “What are you doing here.” It’s not a question. Not really. He folds the paper, one, twice, three times, and on the third it bursts into flames, not even ashes left as the spell takes hold.

Felix doesn’t flinch, just blinks at him with those wide, dark eyes. “We had a deal.”

Jisung _stares_. “I just found out your town is committing human sacrifice, you _knew about it_ , and you think I’m gonna be horny?” As he finishes the question, another one strikes him. “Plus, I still have _no_ fucking idea what killed Xaver or why.”

Felix deflates slightly, and some small part of Jisung’s brain feels bad. But it’s a small part. “I tried to fix it.” His voice is barely above a whisper, eyes downcast, and he drags his lower lip between his teeth. The candlelight leaves an odd pallor to his skin. “But I couldn’t do it alone.”

“What?” The burn of anger in his chest fades slightly, confusion taking its place. “What are you talking about? You said you just moved here.”

A faint smile tugs across Felix’s face. It’s not a happy expression. “I just moved into _town_. I’ve been here a lot longer than they have.”

Oh, fucking hell.

His first instinct is to reach for his dagger and see how fast he can strike. But nothing about Felix _feels_ dangerous, and part of his brain screams that there’s more to the story. “So… The crops, and the livestock, and Xaver… That was you?”

Felix nods slowly, jerkily. A pink tongue darts out to wet his lips, and he can’t seem to meet Jisung’s eyes. “I was... Different, before. But the things they’re doing…” There’s a faint note of hysteria in his voice, like he’s torn between laughter and sobs but won’t give in to either. “They’re bleeding out. They’re poisoning me.” When he does finally look up, Jisung sucks in a breath between his teeth, trying to force the tension out of his body. If Felix’s eyes had been dark before, that was nothing compared to now; now, their entirety- pupil, iris, and sclera- is black as ink. Really, Jisung feels vaguely stupid for not noticing before. A forest this old? Of course it had a guardian spirit.

He knows Felix is a killer. He’s probably behind all the disappearances that _weren’t_ sacrifices.

But that doesn’t stop something in his chest from aching when Felix speaks again. _Begs_ , really.

“Please. Please save me.”

In theory, a hunter is supposed to save people from monsters, from the inhuman, from the extraordinary.

Really, this probably still counts.

“I already contacted my companions. They’ll come as soon as they can. They’ll help me. Help _us_.”

Felix’s dark, dark eyes widen, then flutter closed, the tensions seeping out of his entire body as the last rays of sunset filter through the windows. For a long moment, the cabin is silent, atmosphere thick but the edges softened and blunted with sheer _relief_.

Then Felix opens his eyes again, carefully pushing off the door and crossing the room to settle on Jisung’s bed. He seems hesitant in his movements, not that Jisung can blame him- technically, Jisung could and _should_ kill him right then and there. Should, but won’t. “Can I… stay here, for a little while? It’s hard to be around them.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” The second sentence slips out before Jisung really thinks it through. “What did you mean, ‘poisoning’ you? Are they making you sick or something?”

Felix goes perfectly still, not even breathing; which, really, he probably doesn’t need to. It’s a little hard to tell where he’s looking, with those solid eyes, but Jisung’s pretty sure that he keeps looking at him, then away. After a moment, he takes a deep breath, pulling his lower lip between his teeth briefly before releasing it. “It… Would be easier to show you.” The words are hesitant, faltering. “But it isn’t… Nice to look at.”

Another quick glance, then Felix looks down, cheeks flushing faintly in the low light. “I won’t hold you to our deal. I was being selfish.” More than a small hint of bitterness seeps into his tone, voice so low Jisung almost doesn’t catch it. “You wouldn’t want me anyway.”

“Hey, I gotta see what I’m working with before I decide.” It’s only sort of a joke; Felix is still beautiful, and it’s not like he’s ever slept with a guardian spirit before. It’s not unheard of, sure, but he’s kind of intrigued as to how that would even _work_. He has no idea if they even have genitalia, although Felix propositioning him makes him pretty sure he’s got _something_ that can be worked with. Damn, he’s really thinking about this, isn’t he.

So much for _not_ being horny.

Felix doesn’t look at him as he slowly undoes the buttons of his shirt, letting it slide off his shoulders. The charm hiding him is good, Jisung has to admit; he can barely see the smallest hints of where it falters. With clothes, he definitely never saw a thing. There’s a bit of shyness about him as he strips, even though it’s not his _real_ body Jisung is currently seeing. Which is kind of a shame, because it’s beautiful, freckles scattered across warm skin that Jisung wants to trace over with his tongue. He shakes his head slightly, trying to rattle the thought loose. “You don’t have to show me, you know.”

They’re so close he can feel Felix’s breath ghosting ever-so-softly over his skin. There’s still a flush to his cheeks, eyes downcast. “I know.”

The magic shatters.

Oh.

 _Huh_.

Really, the logical part of his brain feels like he should be horrified. Felix’s body is a mix-and-match set of organic parts; some of them likely from his natural form as a forest spirit, the others flesh and bone probably foisted on him by the sacrifices. Instead, he finds the whole thing oddly captivating. Vines wind through an exposed ribcage, curling around bone and viscera alike, and slick, pale ligaments intertwine with dark branches through his limbs. Felix’s face is still mostly human-esque, though the ‘skin’ appears to be more of a delicate, papery bark than actual flesh. Without thinking, Jisung lets his eyes drift downward.

That… Sure sort of looks like a dick. Dick-analogous, at least. It’s a combination of both flesh and plant, same as the rest of his body, but it’s also definitely the correct shape and location.

“I’m sorry.” Felix’s voice breaks him out of his dumb staring, and he drags his attention back upward. Felix’s shoulders have hunched up, the gesture so _human_ he completely understands how the other blended in so well. “I know it’s ugly-”

Jisung interrupts him. “You’re still pretty hot, actually.” Which is _weirdly true_ , but honestly at this point in his life he isn’t about to start questioning himself. Not when there’s a very pretty and, if their little ‘deal’ was any indication, very interested being in front of him. Not the worst decision he’s ever made. Not by far. “If I’m not wrong, we had a deal, right?”

Felix fixes him with an expression not unlike a deer caught in a hunter’s sights. Which isn’t entirely inaccurate here, he supposes. “You- what?” He sounds absolutely bewildered, and it’s kind of endearing, even if Jisung did like that little bit of spice and confidence that had come out when Felix first propositioned him. But he can work with this, too.

It’s easy to close the gap between them and press his lips to Felix’s. They’re rougher than a human’s, more textured, but it’s not a bad sensation in the slightest; not when Felix practically melts into his arms. Felix’s body is cooler than a human’s by quite a bit, which isn’t really something he ever thought about, and it throws his brain off for a second. Delicate hands of twigs and tendons come to rest on his shoulders, Felix gripping him so tightly he wouldn’t be surprised to find bruises there in the morning. It’s a good thought.

When he finally convinces Felix to open his mouth, he’s caught off-guard by the taste that hits his tongue. It’s _sweet_ , like honey or syrup, and about the same thickness. Pulling back slightly, the substance sticks to his lips and tongue, shining between them in the dim light before it slowly snaps. Felix watches him, expression still the slightest bit hesitant, like he expects Jisung to change his mind.

Instead, Jisung kisses him again, moving his hands to undo his own shirt. Felix releases his shoulders when he realizes what Jisung is doing, rough hands helping pull the fabric off and smoothing over his skin once it’s revealed. He has scars, all hunters do, but Felix doesn’t seem bothered by them in the slightest, tracing over them with his fingertips like patterns on a map. Felix breaks the kiss to look down, clearly fascinated by his body, and Jisung can’t help the cocky grin that crosses his face. “Like what you see?”

“Yes.” Felix answers so plainly and honestly it startles a laugh out of him, grin transforming into a real smile when Felix doesn’t even look up.

Then those curious fingers make their way to the edge of his pants, toying with his belt. Part of Jisung's brain wonders how Felix can even stand touching it- the leather is tooled with dozens of glyphs and symbols to ward off the inhuman, but it doesn't seem to shake the other in the slightest. The rest of his brain, however, is much more interested in the very pretty man pawing at his dick. "Pushy," he teases, but he undoes his belt with more haste, letting it drop on the floor with an audible thud. Felix beats him to undoing his pants, fumbling only a little with the buttons before he's pushing at them too.

"I have to take my boots off first." Jisung points out, a pout crossing Felix’s face at the temporary delay. It’s charming, and Jisung doesn't bother resisting the urge to kiss it off him. "Sit down, I'm not going anywhere." Felix drops down onto the bed with a huff, black eyes watching Jisung with an intensity that makes his hair stand on end in the best way possible.

Getting his boots off while standing with his pants undone is an adventure, especially with Felix apparently being unable to keep his hands to himself, but he manages without toppling over. He goes ahead and strips his pants off while he's standing, leaving him in just his underwear- which, really, isn't quite fair considering Felix has been naked the entire time.

Before he can worry about correcting that, arms wrap around his neck, yanking him down onto the bed and into a kiss. The texture of Felix's body is downright _bizarre_ against his own, too rough and too smooth all at once, but it isn't nearly enough to stop him from draping himself on top of the other. He can feel Felix's- the best word would probably be 'erection', even if he's pretty sure that isn't technically correct, stiff and faintly chilled against his hip. "I've never slept with a forest spirit before," he murmurs, nipping carefully at the fleshy bit of Felix’s lower lip.

"I've never slept with anyone before," Felix answers back just as simply, like there's all there is to it.

If Jisung was a different person- a better person, maybe, but definitely a different one- it might throw him to be taking someone’s virginity as part of a deal. But honestly? Felix is willing and it’s his own suggestion. He’d rather just focus on making it a good time for all involved parties. “Do you want me to fuck you? Or just get you off?” The tendons in Felix’s neck are more vines than flesh, and it’s a curious feeling to press his lips to it. There’s no pulse to speak of, obviously, and he halfway wonders what even is keeping Felix’s flesh parts functioning if he doesn’t appear to have any actual _veins_.

It’s not a very sexy thought, though, so he files it away for later.

Felix hums, the sound low and deep and buzzing under Jisung’s lips. “If we’re doing this, we might as well go all the way, right?” As if to punctuate his point, Felix closes his thighs around Jisung’s hips, hands slipping from around his neck to ghost across his chest and stomach. One settles almost chastely on his hip, fingertips just barely slipping beneath the fabric of his underwear, but he openly gropes at Jisung’s dick with the other, palming him roughly and dragging a curse out of him. He’d been more focused on Felix than himself, but the sudden reminder that he’s actually _really_ hard doesn’t hurt.

“Sure," Jisung agrees readily, untangling himself from on top of the other to sit up some. Felix makes a displeased noise in his throat, drawing another laugh out of Jisung- though this one is far more breathless, considering Felix still hasn’t stopped his exploration of his dick. “Hang on, babe, just gotta see what I’m working with here.”

A gentle touch to the inside of Felix’s thigh has them falling open, spread wide to give Jisung all the access he wants. The low light doesn’t give him the most detailed view, but Felix’s cock- that’s what he’s gonna call it, at least- is resting against his lower stomach, leaking some kind of fluid that he assumes is probably the other’s equivalent of precum. Swiping his fingers through it, he brings them up to his mouth curiously to taste it while his other hand slips further down between Felix’s legs. It’s not quite as bitter or salty as a human’s, instead almost sharply tangy in a way that makes him think of lemons. _Huh._

His probing fingers find _something_ , a faintly damp opening a little further forward than he would expect, but at the same time what the hell does he know to expect here. Pressing on it just lightly, the area gives under his fingertips, and Felix arches on the bed with a gasp. His grip around Jisung’s dick tightens enough to be faintly painful, and he hisses, hips instinctively moving away. “So was I _not_ supposed to touch that?”

Felix blinks once, twice, dark eyes faintly unfocused. “Feels good," he mumbles, voice gravelly from pleasure, and it’s a lot hotter than it should be.

Jisung is still gentle when he slips a single finger inside Felix, exploring carefully in case there’s some kind of nasty surprise (for either of them) inside the other. All he feels is a thick, viscous fluid easing his way- its texture is almost like Felix’s saliva, borderline syrupy without being sticky, and that _does_ solve the problem of lube. Instead of the usual warm heat of another body, Felix is even chilly inside, and where his brain expects smooth flesh he finds ridges of what he thinks are vines.

Okay, yeah, he _definitely_ wants to know what that’s going to feel like around his dick.

Felix doesn’t resist his exploration, not even when one finger turns to two turns to three. His hand on Jisung gets sloppy, losing focus, and on occasion soft little whimpers leave his throat, until finally he pushes at Jisung’s hand with his own. “ _Please._ ” He almost rasps the word, and Jisung’s last brain cell short-circuits. He almost topples off the bed in his eagerness to strip off his underwear, but manages to right himself at the last second, settling back between Felix’s legs.

Spreading his thighs eagerly, Felix does his best to cant his hips up, reaching between them to grab at Jisung’s dick again. Without the fabric in the way, the roughness of his hand is borderline painful, but Jisung thinks he’s a little bit into that because the only thing he can do is moan a little too loudly. Which reminds him there’s not even a lock on the door. Wow, this is a _terrible idea_. Not that that’s about to stop him.

It’s almost too easy to help hike Felix’s hips up a little further, letting the other help guide him as he slips into his body. He’s _tight_ , no surprise there, but the shocking temperature difference makes Jisung bite down hard on his lower lip and think about something very unsexy to _not_ cum right away.

Felix’s eyes have drifted shut again, and if it weren’t for the faint tensing and shifting of his body Jisung could almost mistake him for dead. Not seeing someone breathe is weird enough on its own, but combined with the fact that there’s very little in the way of skin on his torso- just bones and winding ivy, hints of what may or may not be half-formed organs barely visible in the candlelight- some primal part of his brain is setting off an alarm.

Of course, he’s been trained as a hunter for long enough he’s very good at ignoring those alarms.

Felix moves so suddenly it startles him, thighs tightening as he presses himself back against Jisung. His grip on Felix’s hips tightens, nails sinking into the thicker vines woven there to make the joint, and Felix makes a soft noise in his throat, eyes opening. “Move. Please.”

He’s definitely not going to deny the spirit. Or himself. Pulling himself a little further onto his knees, Jisung keeps his pace slow and deep at first, doing his best to figure out _exactly_ how to angle himself to get the loudest, sweetest sounds out of Felix. It takes a minute, Felix randomly tensing around him as he shifts, but then he hits the perfect spot and Felix nearly _screams_.

Jisung follows the hands scrambling at his shoulders to catch Felix in another kiss, half for fondness and half to keep him quieter. It's a little bit different than for a human, more downward than up, but he can definitely make that work. Rough fingers scrape at his shoulder blades, enough he's pretty sure it's going to leave a mark or maybe bleed, but right now he does _not_ care.

Felix makes the loveliest noises into his mouth, like they're being forced out of him with every thrust, and Jisung is a little ashamed to admit he isn't going to last long. He releases one side of Felix's hips, wrapping a fist around his erection, slick with that strange precum-like substance, and it only makes him even tighter.

His thrusts are still strong, if a little sloppy, and then suddenly Felix is arching against him, biting down on his lower lip hard enough Jisung can taste the blood spilling into their mouths. Nothing seems to come out of him, not like a human orgasm, but the way the other is reacting- shudders rocking through his body, the vines inside him tightening _hard_ around Jisung as he tenses- makes it pretty clear what is happening.

It's more than enough for Jisung to follow him over, spots flickering in his vision as he comes harder than he remembers doing in a _long_ time, spilling inside Felix to mix with the natural fluids.

The only sound for a long second is the sound of his panting, Felix's eyes fluttering as he comes back down. He's sweating, even though it isn't terribly hot, and his back stings. Felix broke the skin.

Yeah, he's _definitely_ gonna try for a round two.

* * *

There’s a knock on the door a few hours later, at the time where night has slipped into morning but the sun hasn't yet risen. Quick, quiet, just enough to drag Jisung awake. Mostly because he’s waiting for it. The two of them had already haphazardly thrown their clothes back on, and his sliding off the bed is enough to disturb Felix. He sits up drowsily as Jisung heads for the door, one hand resting on his dagger just in case he's wrong about who's behind it.

He's not.

"I don't think I've ever been so glad to see you guys," Jisung admits, stepping back to let Chan and Changbin enter the cabin. They move so quietly over the floor their boots barely make a sound, even with all the gear he's sure is under those heavy jackets. Changbin opens his mouth, probably to ask who Felix is and why he's in Jisung's bed, but luckily for Jisung, Changbin isn't the _only_ fast talker in their merry trio. "So it turns out it's even more complicated than just a cult! Cult, definitely real. For sure. But this forest has a guardian spirit and it turns out human sacrifice is not the best energy for them to absorb. Felix here was trying to save himself and kind of sort of killed a few of the locals but honestly he seems pretty justified so I don't think he should have to pay for that." He's a little out of breath at the end of his spiel, but at least he didn't get interrupted.

Felix looks uncomfortable with their presence, not that he can blame him. One hunter is bad enough. Three? The odds are _not_ on his side if the others decide that he should be punished for what he's done. He hasn't bothered to redo the magic hiding his appearance, and in the light of the nearly-dead lamp the hints of damage and disfigurement to his body are almost nauseating. Changbin glances at Chan, who is watching Felix silently. A little judgingly.

Then he smiles, thin but genuine, and Jisung releases a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "If he was protecting himself or his forest, under the circumstances, I don’t see a need for our interference. _But_." Chan glances over his shoulder, expression tightening. "We do need to get out of here. Immediately."

With their help, it only takes a few minutes to repack his kit, and when Felix shakes his head over his own belongings, they're out the door and into the night before the oil lamp finally sputters out. Changbin keeps looking behind them, clearly watching for something, but Chan keeps them moving quietly through the trees. Felix stays in line with them easily, having abandoned his shoes and virtually silent in his own environment.

For a moment, just out of the corner of his eye, Jisung sees movement in the trees. He almost draws his blade.

Then he recognizes the sky-bright blue eye fixed on them, and his heart stops in his throat.

Chan stops them on the edge of the valley, just a little bit further up the mountain. From this spot, they can see the entire village. "Chan?" Jisung asks, even his quietest voice borderline deafening in the silence of the forest. Chan doesn't answer, watching the town silently.

Which is answer enough.

He can hear the yelling even from this distance, though he can't make out words. Lanterns are lit, and people flood out from the houses, all rushing down to the mockery they called a church. It makes sense to corral the town in there, if there's some kind of outside threat, and Jisung almost asks.

The look on Chan's face, eyes hard and jaw set, kills the question on his tongue.

It isn’t long until the houses have all gone dark and the voices quiet down, muffled by the wooden walls, and he can see the lights glowing from the stained glass windows.

Then he sees the figures. They move slowly at first, stopping by each house for only a moment before moving on. Felix grips at his sleeve, tugging gently for his attention. “What are they doing?” They’re far enough away he doesn’t have to keep his voice low, but he does anyway, and Jisung thinks he gets it. No matter how the distance, it feels like speaking normally will shatter some kind of spell. 

"Making sure they haven't missed anyone."

There's ice in Chan's tone. Enough to make Jisung's blood run cold.

Changbin seems to realize it too, looking at Chan with widened eyes. "Wait- they're going to-"

The heavy thump of wood interrupts them, and while the distance is too much to make out any detail, Jisung doesn't even need to look to know they're barricading the door to the church. He's sure the side doors have already been dealt with, all escape cut off. "Chan, we can't let them do this."

Chan looks at him, eyes softening just enough to make him look human again. "What's our other option? Let this madness keep spreading?" His chest heaves with a sigh, and he looks back at the horizon, the faint glow of the church’s lights spilling onto the dirt. “Reports like this just get swept under the rug. At best, they’ll be ignored. At worst, they’ll scatter, and who knows how far this will go.” Then, like an afterthought. “We have Seungmin’s blessing, or those two wouldn’t be here.”

Any argument Jisung could make dies on his tongue, and he bites down hard enough to taste blood. There’s the faint smell of smoke beginning to rise from the air. He knows that, in the most fucked up way, this is _what they do_. Save people from monsters.

It’s just harder to swallow when the monsters _are_ human.

Delicate fingers wind through his own, rough skin scratching against his palm, and it’s enough to drag him back to the present. Felix is watching him with those dark, dark eyes. The stars reflect down into them, and for a second Jisung feels like he's staring into the universe itself. "Thank you."

Jisung feels his eyebrows draw down, confusion flickering through him. "For what?"

Felix smiles, warm and brilliant as the sun under the moonlight. "For saving me."

**Author's Note:**

> bug me on twt if you want more of this verse: @norudeghosts


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